Last Monday, Asaba, the Delta State capital was in a traffic gridlock as motorists and commuters groaned. The cause was the sit-in by the physically challenged persons protesting alleged neglect by the Delta State Government. The ever busy Asaba Benin express way was blocked by these people. The pleas by government officials led by the secretary to the state government Comrade Ovuozourie Macaulay fell on deaf ears.  The Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Chief (Mrs) Betty Efekodha was also there. The leader of the group, Mr Isaac Obruche, the state chairman of the Joint National Association of People Living with Disability said that his comrades have been denied the benefits of the recent federal government SURE-P programme. But Efekodha was quick to deny the allegations, adding that the Delta State government had committed a lot of resources in addressing the needs of these people. She said that her ministry in collaboration with MTN were helping those with disabilities in their legs as they are being treated while measurements of their legs are taken to give them artificial legs. She explained further what the government has done for the physically challenged: `We send four blind people to Lagos yearly for training and we take care of their accommodation, feeding and transportation and we give them starter packs at the end of the training. The government of Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan is taking care of them through my ministry. The protest is therefore unfair and unjust. I recently attended one of the physically challenged`s wedding in my capacity as the Commissioner for Women Affairs`.
The protest of the physically challenged was not funny at all to the state governor as he expressed his anger over it. He later asked the state police commissioner to release those that were arrested for causing public disorder and blocking a major highways used by Nigerians. In a meeting in Warri, the governor bared his mind to the group even though at the end of the meeting, the leader of the group, Mr Isaac Obruche apologized for their unruly behaviour and promised that his group will be of good behaviour.
This is how Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan explained the policy of his administration to the group: `This administration has done so much for the physically challenged, we even created a special office to handle your affairs, and so I am surprised at your behaviour. Any one of you that want to work with government, we will work with the person but what I will not do is to hand money over to you. If you want to learn a skill, we will train you and start off, if you want employment you will pass through the necessary procedure and we will look at it and see what we can do. However, I will not be stampeded`.
Nothing could be more apt and true than that. That you are physically challenged should not be an excuse for causing public disorder. The message the governor is passing is that due process should be followed. And that being physically challenged should not be an object of pity or violent behaviour. That such people should use their God given talents to better their lots and those of their families. Begging is not an option at all. Similarly, waiting for government handouts should be ruled out. Rather they should exploit the various government programmes to help themselves. And this was the tenor of the Commissioner for Information, Chike Ogeah as he rolled out the various government programmes for the physically challenged.
Listen to the Information Commissioner: ‘Under the state Rehabilitative Interactive Skills Empowerment and Skills Acquisition Scheme, up to 300 physically challenged persons have benefitted from various training schemes in hair dressing, photography, fashion designs and other crafts after which starter packs such as hair dryers, sewing machines, grinders, cameras, printers, filing machines aids were distributed to beneficiaries. In January 2011, more than forty physically challenged persons were enrolled in different skills acquisition programmes, another twenty persons were presented with tables, chairs and twenty thousand Naira recharge cards to commence their own businesses while additional thirty persons were enrolled in yet another phase of the skills acquisition scheme. Delta state undoubtedly has the most comprehensive and responsive welfare package for the physically challenged in the country. However, we also acknowledge that there is still room for improvement`.
It is also on record that the Delta State government reserves five percent of employment slots for the physically challenged and that in the recent past, more than eighty -five have employed by the state government. It is an economic and social reality that the twenty -five local government councils through instructions from the state government are making sure that the SURE-P funds in the local areas get to the physically challenged so that they can set up small business. It is really beyond government budgeting and making provisions for the welfare and interest of these special groups of people in our midst. The government as a matter of urgency and priority should set up internal mechanism to ensure that the money and programmes get to the targeted people. Last Monday demonstration was borne out of the feelings that these special people were not getting the impact of government programmes. Now that the cloud of doubt has been cleared, the government owe it as a duty to ensure that its laudable programmes are not hijacked and that the programmes are implemented to the letter.
On the part of the parents and relatives of the physically challenged, pity is out of the question. They should rise up to the occasion by training these people and arming them with special skills. I remember my days at Akoka and one of my colleagues was a blind student. He graduated with us and there was no iota of pity of him. Therefore it is the responsibilities of parents and relatives of the physically challenged to train them and the option of begging as profession should be ruled out. The various nongovernmental organizations, churches, charity groups and rich individuals should set up schemes to help these people. The burden should not be left for government and relatives of such people. If we all spare a thought for them and give them skills or education, they too could contribute to the progress and development of the nation. In caring for the physically challenged, everybody must be on board.